This invention relates to a printer controller for controlling a printing device for storage media. In particular, the printing device is a printer that applies a printed image onto the non-recordable label face of a compact disk. This invention can be added to an existing disk printing device, the disk printing device used in stand-alone mode or in conjunction with a CD-R disk recording device.
As computers and consumer electronic products have evolved to handle greater capacities of data, the storage medium for recording data or information generated has similarly evolved. The optical disk has become an inexpensive medium on which to record a large volume of data. It is now commonplace for computer programs or data collections to be copied onto compact discs because of the low cost of production for the producer and the ease of data installation and use by the consumer.
While high volume data reproduction is typically accomplished by pressing disks using specialized equipment, it is often advantageous for smaller runs, usually no larger than approximately 1000 copies, to be made using CD-R recording equipment. Use of CD-R disks and recording equipment allows producers to make small production runs quickly while retaining complete control over the copying process.
A major obstacle to the data recording process is no longer the placement of binary data onto the disk itself, but the proper identification and labeling of disks after the copy process so that the user can distinguish one disk from another. It is now possible to purchase disk printers that print on the non-recordable label face of a compact disk using inkjet or thermal printing technology. However, these printing methods are often more expensive than a silk screen printing process, add a significant amount of time to the entire replication process, and lead to disks having labels that look shoddy in comparison to a silk screened label.
Many of these disadvantages could be eliminated through a hybrid printing method whereby a disk printer is used to apply customized labels to disks that have been pre-printed with a silk screened label. For example, a company could have its product logo or trademark silk screened onto a set of disks, and then could print a customized image such as a serial number or a version identifier onto the disk.
Such a hybrid printing method would require that the disk be properly aligned with the printer so that the label is applied with the correct location and orientation. Using traditional disk printing equipment, a user can only accomplish this task by manually aligning and inserting disks into a disk printer, thereby adding a large labor cost and the likelihood of human error into the process. One manufacturer has proposed a device that rotates the disk for proper alignment before printing. This solution requires that an additional motor and carriage be incorporated into the printer, adding additional weight, expense, and increasing both the probability and cost of repair.
It is an object of this invention to provide image application to a set of disks, with each disk having pre-printed information on the non-recordable label face of the disk. It is a further object of this invention to construct a scanning and printing apparatus that accomplishes the scanning operation in a time-efficient manner with a minimal amount of additional machinery. Yet a further object of this invention is to incorporate the automated labeling process into pre-existing disk printer systems at minimal cost. It is a further object of this invention to incorporate the automatic image application into a CD-R disk writer and allow for the customization of image application, while minimizing the amount of human labor necessary.
The disk printer controller of this invention is designed for those operations where a modest number of compact disks are to be custom labeled. Although the disk printer controller is primarily designed to operate in conjunction with a CD-R disk writer system, the printing system can be used for any recording media analogous to CD-R disks, such as pressed compact disks or digital video disks. Because of the clever physical arrangement of the hardware used to accomplish the scanning process, it is expected that ordinary disk printers and disk writers will be easily modified to incorporate the disk printing system of this invention; therefore, any references to a particular disk printer or copier should not be considered as a limitation to practicing the invention disclosed herein.
The disk printer controller has a scanning assembly and an electronic control means for controlling the sequence of scanning and printing. The electronic control means comprises a personal computer or controller board that may be incorporated within the housing of the printer unit or maintained separate therefrom. It is likely that users desiring to control the image application process will operate a computer, video monitor, and peripheral input devices to design or prepare one or more custom image files used for printing.
In the first embodiment of the disk printer controller, the disk printer controller is attached to a stand-alone disk printing unit. Contained within the computer or controller board is a set of computer software programs that operate the various mechanical components utilized to accomplish the following tasks:
1. engage the scanning assembly to scan the non-recordable label face of each disk transported into the disk printer;
2. rotate and adjust the custom image file to its proper location and angle relative to the non-recordable label face of the disk placed inside the disk printer; and
3. operate the disk printer and apply the processed custom image file to the non-recordable label face of the disk placed inside the disk printer.
In the second embodiment of the disk printer controller, the disk printer controller is connected to a printing unit operated in conjunction with a CD-R disk writer. Contained within the computer or controller board is a set of computer software programs that operate the various mechanical components utilized to accomplish the following tasks:
1. load and unload disks from disk drive members contained in the disk writer;
2. issue copying and verification commands to the disk writer;
3. transport disks to the disk printer;
4. load and unload disks from the disk printer;
5. engage the scanning assembly to scan the non-recordable label face of each disk transported into the disk printer;
6. rotate and adjust the custom image file to its proper location and angle relative to the non-recordable label face of the disk placed inside the disk printer; and
7. activate the disk printer and apply the processed custom image file to the non-recordable label face of the disk placed inside the disk printer.
In the first embodiment, a serial connection connects the host computer and the scanning assembly, and a parallel printer interface connects the host computer to the disk printer. In the second embodiment, a second connection using an electrical relay between the host computer and the disk printer may be necessary to control transfer of CD-R disks from the disk writer to the disk printer.
Each embodiment of the disk printer controller is designed for use with a disk printer having a retractable disk tray that extends outward from the disk printer to accept a disk for printing. Once a disk has been placed on the extended disk tray and an electrical or mechanical signal is activated, the disk tray retracts, and the disk travels inside the disk printer and underneath a printing element such as a thermal or inkjet printhead.
In each embodiment of the disk printer controller, the scanning assembly is placed directly above the travel path of the disk tray as it retracts from its extended position. The scanning assembly has a scan line that is perpendicular to the movement of the disk tray and has a focus on a plane corresponding to the plane formed by the non-recordable label face of a compact disk inserted on the disk tray.
The scanning assembly resembles what is known in the prior art as a half-page scanner; the scanning assembly has a set of light emitting diodes (LEDs) positioned parallel to the scan line for illumination of the compact disk, an optional set of mirror elements, a lens assembly, and a charge coupled device (xe2x80x9cCCDxe2x80x9d) sensor arranged on a printed circuit board. Light from the LEDs reflects off of the non-recordable label face of the compact disk and travels into the lens assembly to be focused onto the CCD sensor. Depending on the desired physical configuration of the scanning assembly, the light reflected off of the label face of the compact disk may be reflected by one or more mirror elements prior to its entering the lens assembly.
Data from the CCD sensor is sent to signal processing software located on the host computer for assembly into a bitmap image file. Depending on the amount of sophistication required by the user, one of two scanning methods is employed. In the first method, the scanning region corresponds to a small area around the center aperture of the compact disk. In the second method, the ire scanning region corresponds to the complete label face of the compact disk.
In the first method, disk orientation is calculated from a small dot imprinted on the label face of the disk near the center aperture of the disk. This dot is applied to the disk to provide a reference to the pre-printed material placed on the label face of the disk. Using this method, the disk orientation can be determined quickly using a small bitmap image file corresponding to a scan of the label face of the disk near the center aperture of the disk.
In the second method, the scanned bitmap image file represents the image of the complete label face of the disk. This image file is then compared to a reference bitmap image file to determine the relative angle of rotation of the disk to the reference bitmap image file. While this second method is more complex than the first method and thus inherently slower to accomplish, it allows for the disk orientation to be calculated without the use of special reference marks placed on the disk near the central aperture of the disk.
After the disk orientation is calculated, a processed custom image file is created by rotating and filtering the desired label image file. The processed custom image file is then ready to be sent as a set of printing commands to the disk printer, and the processed custom image is applied to the label face of the disk. These and other features will be described in greater detail in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments.